Last Saturday, during intermittent rainstorms, about 700 everyday, run-of-the-mill Americans gathered outdoors at Lion’s Club Park in Rolla for a tea party. No one was bussed in. They drove themselves.

They were not alone.

Over 800 tea parties were held throughout the United States, with numbers estimated up to 500,000 in attendance.

Salt-of-the-earth central Missourians felt obliged to announce their grievances and petition a federal government that is supposed to be “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Attending veterans from World War II on were crimson with anger over Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s declaration of their predisposal to metamorphose into terrorists.

Also present were parents who were worried about the debt their children will incur. Small business people are wondering if they can survive rising costs and lack of credit long enough to pass their businesses on to their children or employees. Homeowners, struggling to make mortgage payments, are mad as hell that their money is mandated to pay for the homes of others who can’t or won’t pay their loans.

To my knowledge, nobody received one dime from a right-wing republican billionaire, as was rumored by liberal “reporters.”

Everyone realizes this president was elected on his claim to increase taxes on the “rich” while lowering taxes to the other 95 percent of the citizens. As bogus as this is, we understand that the electorate has spoken.

However, citizens have a right to give input on the spending, as to both the amounts and the benefactors. They also hired members of Congress to read legislation before they voted for it.

If you spend all your time looking for mice, the elephants will trample you

Citizens in mid-Missouri believe Obama and the democrats are attempting to overthrow our constitution, especially our Bill of Rights. The two amendments under the most fire are:

• Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, and expression: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

• Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

A growing number on the left and many on the right are aghast at the President of the United States’ hypocrisy, having just 90 days ago taken an oath to defend the Constitution.

Taking over businesses, bussing demonstrators to homes of people you straw dog, threatening talk and Christian radio, and the threat of raising insurance on gun-owners to an unaffordable level will destroy our constitutional rights.

The Mid-Missouri tea party started with Anthem and Pledge, then a warm-up by a local emcee. Four speakers from retired military, to state reps, to an active rancher stimulated the crowd more than anything that’s come out of D.C.

All along, petitions of protest were signed for delivery to our local and federal governments.

The best was saved for the final 45 minutes. Ordinary citizens marched up to the podium and gave their own personal stories and opinions. No one was barred. No one was monitored. No one’s mike was cut off. Everyone that wanted to got their say.

How ironic tea parties started with the emotional outburst of a CNBC reporter Rick Santelli, an employee of Jeff Immelt of GE. Immelt, a top advisor to Barack, has turned the NBC network over to the leg tinglers for Obama.

At yesterday’s stockholder meeting, GE had the mikes of at least two objecting speakers cut off.

I was going to be a psychic, but there’s no future in it

Nobody that I know elected Obama and a Democratic majority in Congress to destroy the constitution or silence innocent citizens for the mere exercise of their right to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Citizens are waking up in large numbers to the disastrous path our government is taking us down. If Congress and the Obama administration keep it up, the tempo and intensity of the protests will multiply.

If you’re wondering how I know so much about this, I was honored to be the Master of Ceremonies at the Mid-Mo tea party. This is one ground zero I will never forget.

(Dave Weinbaum is a regular contributor of one-liners and commentaries to many regional and national publications and web sites, including the Reader's Digest, National Enquirer and Forbes and is a regular pundit for the www.jewishworldreview.com. Readers can reach Dave at dwquote@prodigy.net or his website, www.daveweinbaum.com. Listen to the Dave Weinbaum Radio Talk show on KTTR 99.7 FM and 1490 AM on Friday mornings starting at 9:05.)